Leftist Suggests ‘Criminal Charges’ For Not Certifying Elections

A leftist activist said election officials should threaten those who refuse to certify election results with “consequences” like “criminal charges” or “losing your job” in a webinar Tuesday.

“We recommend stressing that anyone who tries to mess with this process or undermine our democracy will fail, and that they will or can face consequences,” said Lizzie Ulmer, senior vice president of strategy and communications at the left-wing States United Democracy Center. “As we’ve seen in a number of the states where this has happened, those consequences can include losing your job or even facing criminal charges.”

Ulmer joined Jon Miller, chief program officer for the leftist Public Rights Project, in a webinar called “Election Certification Messaging for Local Election Officials.” Miller said the two would focus on “messaging strategies” for local election officials to “debunk misinformation” when speaking to the public and media, especially about election certification.

“Folks pushing to block certification want to sow doubt about our fair and secure elections… It’s really important to often include accountability, that these efforts fail, and that there are consequences that people face. Again, depending on the circumstance that may or may not be the right fit,” Ulmer said. “The accountability framing shows that there are very serious consequences for when you seek to undermine that process.”

County canvassers review and certify the results of each election. Canvassing helps officials “resolve discrepancies, correct errors, and take any remedial actions necessary to ensure completeness and accuracy before certifying the election.” But since 2020, leftists have launched a nationwide pressure campaign forcing them to rubber-stamp the reported results, taking away canvassers’ meaningful ability to review election outcomes.

Ulmer cited Cochise County, Arizona, canvassers who faced criminal charges for stalling certification of the 2022 election results. She said election officials should focus on “emphasizing the consequences for when people go outside the bounds.”

“These efforts fail; they aren’t successful,” Ulmer said. “In Cochise County, those folks are facing criminal charges for their actions.”

She dismissed hesitation to certify results as “based on lies and conspiracy theories and unreliable sources of data about our elections.”

Ulmer worked for anti-gun group Everytown For Gun Safety from 2014 to 2017, then worked as communications director for the Democratic Attorneys General Association from 2017 to 2021, according to LinkedIn.

Miller echoed lines calling certification a “ministerial process.” 

“Something that I think previously was taken for granted, that was a ministerial process, is now just really open to a lot of interpretation, a lot of shenanigans, and, I think, really just problematic behavior from opponents of democracy,” Miller said. 

He said election officials have to “engage with an unruly public” trying to “get a reaction” and “disrupt” their activities.

Miller worked in the Massachusetts attorney general’s office from 2008 to 2020 before working at the Public Rights Project, according to LinkedIn. He signed an amicus brief in 2019 against former President Donald Trump. His profile on X features left-wing content, including a banner that reads “#BlackLivesMatter” featuring a “solidarity” fist. 

Miller has posted criticism of a Supreme Court ruling for religious freedom and support for lawfare against Trump.

The Federalist reached out to Miller and the States United Democracy Center, but did not receive comment in time for publication.

‘Election Protection’

The Public Rights Project’s “Election Protection Hub” hosted the webinar. Miller said the PRP developed the hub ahead of November’s election to focus “specifically on election officials in battleground states.”

“We provide rapid response, legal support, technical assistance, training, and other services to local election officials across the country, from fighting misinformation to navigating threats,” Miller said. 

The hub maintains a “team of staff attorneys” to defend what it calls “pro-democracy election officials,” according to its website. It works with officials in states including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin.

It targets areas where it claims “black and brown communities” face “voter suppression,” local election administrators support “pro-voter policies (e.g., drop-box voting, expanded early voting, etc.),” and election officials face “legal and political challenges.” 

It filed an amicus brief in a Wisconsin Supreme Court case considering the widespread use of absentee drop boxes, claiming they are a “convenient, secure, and essential tool for voters and election officials.” As The Federalist previously reported, the court ultimately ruled in favor of drop boxes, possibly enabling issues similar to those seen in the 2020 election. 

Power Players

The Center for Secure and Modern Elections, which has close ties to CTCL, is also one of the hub’s partners. According to InfluenceWatch, CSME lobbies for automatic voter registration and is a project of the leftist dark money behemoth Arabella Advisors’ New Venture Fund.

CSME chief counsel Sam Oliker-Friedland is executive director of the Institute for Responsive Government, another partner of the hub. According to InfluenceWatch, the IRG pushes to strengthen bureaucracy and reduce barriers to voting. The group is also a project of the New Venture Fund, and it shares leadership ties with CTCL — which promoted the IRG’s latest grants to election officials.

The hub has other powerful partners, including Ulmer’s lawfare group States United Democracy Center, All Voting Is Local, and the Protect Democracy Project — which works with ex-FBI counsel James Baker, who helped suppress the Hunter Biden laptop story.

The hub takes funding from similarly left-wing sources, according to its website.

One of the group’s funders is the Skoll Foundation, a billion-dollar nonprofit that funds leftist groups, policy, and media, according to InfluenceWatch. Skoll funded CTCL ahead of the 2020 election and advertised its latest round of election grants. 

Another donor is Democracy Fund, created by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar. According to InfluenceWatch, the group supports left-wing media and voter registration groups. These include the publisher of “fact-checker” Politifact and data-harvesting machine Rock the Vote. Omidyar operates other funds that bankroll leftist causes.

Other funders include the left-wing Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust, Crankstart Foundation, and Skyline Foundation.

Logan Washburn is a staff writer covering election integrity. He graduated from Hillsdale College, served as Christopher Rufo’s editorial assistant, and has bylines in The Wall Street Journal, The Tennessean, and The Daily Caller. Logan is originally from Central Oregon but now lives in rural Michigan.